Night Watch

I t has been 60 years since the Soviet Union launched the sputnik 1 satellite on 4 October 1957, heralding the start of the space age. To celebrate, look for satellites in the sky this month. To be able to see a satellite, it needs to be dark where you are but the satellite must be in sunlight. That’s why you most often see them just after sunset or just before sunrise. At certain times of the year, however, especially in summer, the earth’s shadow falls in such a way that allows us to see satellites deep into the night. The International Space Station (ISS) is by far the brightest satellite in the sky. The best time to look for it is during October and November, when it will be visible for a few consecutive orbits. It takes 90 minutes to orbit the earth, and provided the space station is still in sunlight, you might be able to see it two or three times in an evening. Just remember that the earth will have rotated during those few hours, so the satellite won’t pass by along the exact same path. To find out when and where to look, download a free app called ISS Detector for Android or Sputnik for iOS (also free). Both apps use your GPS location and motion sensors in your phone to pinpoint where you should look. There’s even an alarm to alert you ahead of time. The best website to use is heavens-above.com. Select your location and click on “10-day predictions for satellites of special interest” and “ISS”. Click the date of a predicted sighting and you’ll be shown the movement of the satellite on a map. – Willie Koorts